Crime Prevention Advisory: Misuse of SIM cards

Posted On: May 6, 2025

Dear Valuable Students, Parents/Guardian, Partners and all,

Singapore Police Force (SPF) noticed a recent trend involving misuse of SIM cards involving youths and they would like to share the following Crime Advisory and preventive education materials, especially those educating youths (equivalent to Secondary, JC, ITE, Poly and IHL level) on offences relating to misuse of SIM cards.

Increasingly, criminal syndicates have turned to getting members of the public to supply them with local SIM/eSIM cards to carry out their criminal activities such as unlicensed moneylending or scams. To address the misuse of SIM cards for criminal activities, Parliament passed the Law Enforcement and Other Matters (LEOM) Bill on 2 April 2024. Under these new laws, which took effect on 1 January 2025, individuals who misuse their SIM cards will be liable for offences including:

Selling SIM cards
Helping others register SIM cards
Allowing others to use their SIM cards
Holding multiple SIM cards without a legitimate reason

SPF have observed more youths becoming involved with criminal syndicates that misuse these local SIM cards to perpetrate scams, including receiving scam monies (via PayNow) and setting up messaging accounts (like WhatsApp). Particularly, criminal syndicates targeted students from secondary schools and IHLs, offering them money to purchase SIM cards under the guise of job tasks.
To this end SPF strongly urge PEIs to warn their students of the serious certain negative consequences of misusing SIM cards or selling their personal and banking details. These offences carry penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and/or imprisonment of up to 3 years.
The following are materials provided by SPF for PEIs to share with students.YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-44qCAzXfB4Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/singaporepoliceforce/videos/do-you-know-it-is-an-offence-to-misuse-your-sim-card/555601537491858/

Have you ever received a scam call or message from a local number?
Criminal syndicates are using local SIM cards to commit scams and other serious crimes such as unlicensed moneylending. These syndicates get their supply of local SIM cards from irresponsible mobile line subscribers, middlemen, and errant retailers.
Your eSIM/SIM card, banking and Singpass accounts are for your personal use only. It is a criminal offence to sell it or use your personal details to help others register for SIM cards.
For more information, visit go.gov.sg/Misuse-of-SIM-Cards Thank you. Yours Faithfully Birmingham Academy

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